Tuesday 1 February 2011

WESTERN PROVINCE ECONOMY GETS AFFECTED BY THE 1964 BAROTSE AGREEMENT VIOLENCE THAT ROCKED THE PROVINCE RECENTLY

WESTERN PROVINCE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ( WCCI) HAS URGED RESIDENTS IN THE AREA TO JEALOUSLY GUARD VITAL ECONOMIC INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS ZESCO TRANSMITTERS, WATER UTILITY PLANTS, COUNCIL PROPERTIES AND GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AS THEIR OWN.
THE WCCI CHAIRMAN GIBBY MUKELABAI SAID THIS IN A STATEMENT MADE AVAILABLE TO PHOENIX IN FROM MONGU TODAY STATING THAT THOSE AGGRIEVED BY ANY SOCIAL- ECONOMIC CAUSES SHOULD NOT VENT THEIR ANGER ON COSTLY PUBLIC INVESTMENTS WHICH HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CURRENT DISPUTE.
MR MUKELEBAI HAS EXPLAINED THAT FOLLOWING THE RECENT SECESSION FRACAS IN MONGU, THE ECONOMY OF WESTERN PROVINCE WAS ON THE KNIFE-EDGE AND URGED STAKEHOLDERS TO URGENTLY PUT MEASURES IN PLACE TO REDRESS THE PROBLEM.
HE SAID IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, BUSINESS IN MONGU HAS SLUMPED TO RECORD LOW LEVELS ADDING THAT SHOPS AND MARKETS ARE HURTING WHILE, MAJOR BUSINESSES WERE RELOCATING TO OTHER PROVINCES.
MR MUKELEBAI ALSO STRESSED THAT HOTELS AND GUEST HOUSES AS WELL AS RICE MERCHANTS HAVE BEEN HIT HARD AS POTENTIAL VISITORS AND TRADERS HAVE STOPPED GOING INTO THE PROVINCE FOLLOWING RECENT OCCURRENCES IN THE AREA.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PROVINCE IS THE POOREST IN THE COUNTRY SAYING THAT THE ON-GOING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BEING UNDERTAKEN BY GOVERNMENT IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY WILL HELP TRANSFORM THE PROVINCE INTO A KEY ECONOMIC PLAYER.
MR. MUKELABAI CITED PROJECTS SUCH AS THE K1.2 TRILLION MONGU-KALABO ROAD, SENANGA –SESHEKE, KALABO-SIKONGO AND KATUNDA –LUKULU ROADS.
HE CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BAROTSE ROYAL ESTABLISHMENT TO TAKE URGENT AND DELIBERATE STEPS TO WOO LOCAL AND FOREIGN INVESTORS TO THE PROVINCE TO HELP CREATE EMPLOYMENT ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUTHS

publishedf by augustine m sichula

No comments:

Post a Comment